December 23, 2016

Issue No. 353 of Your Weekly Staff Meeting features two books by R. Scott Rodin, a jar of dirt, and some memorable one-liners. And for the record—this is NOT fake news! Also, Merry Christmas! Plus, this reminder: click here to check out my 20 management buckets (core competencies). And watch for my year-end “book-of-the-year” lists.

The Worms Win

Near the end of this powerful book, Jack (a company owner, struggling to make life work) asks a key team member an innocent (or so he thought) question: “Good morning, Giselle. How have you been?”

Giselle: “How have I been? What do you mean?”

Jack is perplexed. His mentor (the guy with the keys in this very special novelette, The Seventh Key), has been helping Jack focus (per the subtitle) on “Unlocking the Life God Created You to Live.” Apparently that includes showing interest in the lives of your employees (a Patrick Lencioni theme a few books back).

Giselle is unprepared for the “new” Jack who explains, “I’m just wondering how you are. Is that so strange?”

Giselle: “Yes, actually, it is. Let’s just say I’ve been here now, what, almost eleven years? And I’m pretty sure this is the first time you’ve started one of our meetings by asking how I am. So yes, it’s a little strange…no, actually, it’s a lot strange. So, Jack, what’s this all about?”

Prolific author R. Scott Rodin creatively and colorfully tells a story of what it’s all about—and by the end, you’ve watched a transformation, with more to come. I won’t spoil the story, but I’ll give you three reasons to read and share this book.

Read-This-Book-Reason #1:The storytelling is superb. In a meeting with Rodin earlier this month, I thanked him for the memorable people, places and things that populate his story. Unforgettable, really. He shared a word with me, “iconography,” that describes his approach. (OK, I looked it up! “1) the visual images and symbols used in a work of art or the study or interpretation of these; 2) a collection of illustrations or portraits.”)

If you teach or preach, or tell stories—you’ll be a more effective communicator after reading The Seventh Key. Two months after reading the book, I can still remember the geography, the actions of the characters, and the physical objects—like a jar of dirt! Honest—a jar of dirt, with this explanatory line:

“In the end, no matter how rich or successful, no matter how poor or broke we are, the worms win.”

Read-This-Book-Reason #2: It’s the perfect third book in the trilogy. If you’ve read Rodin’s first two novelettes, you’ll appreciate The Seventh Key even more. The first two, with a focus on stewardship and generosity, remind me of Ben Patterson’s stinger, “There is no such thing as being right with God and wrong with your money.”

This third-in-the-series brings you back to the beginning—how to really be right with God. The first two in the trilogy are also must-reads: The Third Conversion (read my review here) The Million-Dollar Dime (read my review here)

[ ] Admiring Jack’s corner office filled with travel awards, memorabilia, and knickknacks, his mentor notes: “Yeah, we all have them. To me, they’re like a trail of fancy breadcrumbs reminding me where I’ve come from and some of the important moments along the way. My problem is making sure my breadcrumbs don’t become gold stars.”

[ ] Jack recalling a defining moment: “…standing over that pool table and having Barry paint the picture of life as paddling a raft instead of standing over a pool table trying to control everything. The idea of listening to the guide and doing whatever he tells you, that changed everything. Even today at work, I found myself asking, ‘Am I holding a pool cue or a paddle here?’”

[ ] And on unlocking the shackles of misplaced identity: “…as a man of God and follower of Christ, I was not supposed to be the caretaker of my own reputation.”

Whew! There’s much, much more—but you’ll want to read this book. And…I know. I know. I’ve recommended dozens of books in 2016, and here’s one more you’ll appreciate and share.

Your Weekly Staff Meeting Questions:1) Jack’s mentor, Barry, admits: “I have to fight the temptation to define myself by what I do.” Is that a temptation for you? Does our organization contribute to that?2) Author Scott Rodin is real—and doesn’t slough off the hard issues, like Jack’s question about loving others and “…what do you do about the jerks?”Does the life God created you to live include an appropriate response to jerks? - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - "No One Resource Can Meet All the Needs of Leaders"Insights from Mastering the Management Buckets: 20 Critical Competencies for Leading Your Business or Nonprofit

The core competency in the Book Bucket, Chapter 5, in Mastering the Management Buckets, admonishes all of us that “we don’t just talk about books—we actually read them!”

In the introduction to another little Scott Rodin gem, Steward Leader Meditations, author Richard Kriegbaum reminds us of “…the challenging reality that leadership is a complex field and no one resource can meet all the needs of every leader in every situation.”

P.S. Read John’s recent blog on board governance, "Are You More Like the Queen or the Valet?" from the Netflix series, "The Crown."

Your Weekly Staff Meeting is emailed free two to four times a month to subscribers, the frequency of which is based on an algorithm of book length, frequent flyer miles, and client deadlines. We do not accept any form of compensation from authors or publishers for book reviews. As a board member and raving fan of Christian Community Credit Union (a non-profit), we proudly list the credit union as a sponsor at no charge.

I tilt towards books that lean towards the contrarian quadrant. Example: former USC President Steven Sample's book, The Contrarian’s Guide to Leadership. Before buying a book, he prefers a five-minute conversation with someone who has already read it.

• “There is a reason why this is a small book. We want it to be useful, but not a burden.”• “We believe good people need reminders and an occasional nudge, not a sermon.”• “A good board will measure the appropriate inputs as well as the outputs. Failure to measure what matters damages our future.”• “My friend Jim Beré…once told me that he would serve only on boards that had hard-working executive committees.”

Commenting on board committees, De Pree notes the story of the English visitor who watched his first American football game and observed, “The game combines the two worst elements of American culture—violence and committee meetings.”

Rather than penning a 300-page snoozer, De Pree crafts a coaching conversation (a series of letters) with a young leader and his first CEO/board relationship. It’s easy reading and the short epistles are extraordinary.

Board service, writes De Pree, should be “demanding in the best sense of the word.” He lists three other characteristics of great boards: • Lively • Effective • Fun to serve on

CEOs will appreciate every page: “…the chief responsibility of boards is to be effective on behalf of the organization.” He adds, “Effective boards, in a nutshell: • remember the long view, • remember that the president and staff are human, • and do the work of the board…” • Plus this: “Most of the work of the board takes place through the implementation of an agenda.”

More contrarian pokes-in-the-ribs:

• “Many high-priced consultants will tell you to have the shortest possible mission statement. I don’t happen to think that is such a great idea.”• “I feel that the closer an organization comes to being defined as a movement, the closer it will come to fulfilling its potential.”• “I’m a great believer that management should be invited into the board’s world but that the board should not go into management’s area.”• “The chairperson should not permit anyone to read to the board.”

Effective boards do very good planning, says De Pree. He lists three planning questions and then suggests who must be involved in the planning. “…some people need to be involved, to be blunt, because they are going to pay the bill.”

He balances the CFO’s involvement in planning with this: “Planning by the board ought always to include the chief financial officer, a bringer of necessary reality to the process. Of course, the chief financial officer should never have a role that stymies the vision. Some realities have priority over numbers.”

Oh, my—I could fill a year’s worth of eNewsletters with his contrarian coaching!

• “Loyalty by itself is never sufficient. You always have to link loyalty and competence.”• “When an organization demands true leadership and the results justify the time and energy, good boards respond with gusto.”• “Another crime, it seems to me, is to give really good people poor leadership.”

Trust me—this book will not disappoint. All 91 pages are packed with power. Perfect snippets for your “10 Minutes for Governance” segment at every board meeting. (You do that, right?) I’ll close with a story.

Addressing the importance of creating time in the agenda for board reflection, he writes, “I remember the story, perhaps apocryphal, about President Eisenhower and his secretary of state, John Foster Dulles. Dulles was an inveterate traveler. He seemed to be on the go continuously. At one point during the discussion of a serious problem, President Eisenhower said to him, ‘Don’t just do something, stand there.’ Sometimes it’s easier to be busy than to take the time to be reflective.”

Your Weekly Staff Meeting Questions:1) Max De Pree writes, “…a board can be only as good as management will help it become.” So how effective is your organization’s CEO and senior team in helping the board be effective—without inappropriately doing the board’s work?2) De Pree recommends that “Key proposals and issues like building programs or fund drives should always come to the board through its committees at least twice.” Think back for three years—has this been your practice?

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"A Nonprofit Board Is Not a Family!"Insights from Mastering the Management Buckets: 20 Critical Competencies for Leading Your Business or Nonprofit

Chapter 1, “Be Aware of Rose-Colored Glasses,” will get your attention! Fram writes, “When you hear any of these commonly voiced assertions, look beyond surface realities.” His favorite five: 1. “Our board is doing a great job! 2. We have no worries—we have (or just hired) a great CEO! 3. When push comes to shove, our board can raise big $$! 4. Our programs are superior to other similar nonprofits! 5. Our board of directors is like a family!”

On “family,” he adds: “Remind yourself that families don't typically meet once a month, serve specific terms, or weigh whether to resign when faced with over-whelming work/personal pressures. A nonprofit board is not a family and shouldn't aspire to be one.”

Your Weekly Staff Meeting is emailed free two to four times a month to subscribers, the frequency of which is based on an algorithm of book length, frequent flyer miles, and client deadlines. We do not accept any form of compensation from authors or publishers for book reviews. As a board member and raving fan of Christian Community Credit Union (a non-profit), we proudly list the credit union as a sponsor at no charge.